<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Kept in the Dark by Aki133</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27599243">Kept in the Dark</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aki133/pseuds/Aki133'>Aki133</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Borumitsu One Shots [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Boruto: Naruto Next Generations</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Big Sister Sarada, BoruMitsu, Boruto and Sarada are Worried, Brother-Sister Relationships, Canon Compliant, Character Study, M/M, MitsuBoru, One Shot, Sarada’s POV, Short One Shot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 00:42:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>992</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27599243</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aki133/pseuds/Aki133</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The hardest part was not knowing.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mitsuki &amp; Uchiha Sarada, Mitsuki/Uzumaki Boruto, Uchiha Sarada &amp; Uzumaki Boruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Borumitsu One Shots [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2046974</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>42</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Kept in the Dark</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A quick little character study of Sarada and how hard it must be waiting and watching for news.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The hardest part was not knowing. Time continued on like normal but life felt frozen. Sarada watched the sun rise and set from her hospital bed, feeling detached. She put up a brave front every time her concerned friends came to visit. She knew they were worried enough without seeing her depression. She only allowed Boruto to see her real feelings because he understood. Mitsuki's absence was hard on her but Sarada knew it was hardest on him. </p><p>Sneaking out to see Konohamaru off helped them both. Though she was loath to admit it, Boruto's optimism helped her too. His smile in the dawn was inspiring. At times like these, she could see why Mitsuki was always calling him his 'Sun'. When Boruto was around, everything felt brighter. That aside, what she found the most comforting was that they now had a plan. </p><p>The days stretched on. Still there was no word and Sarada's worry was growing stronger. She and Boruto were discharged from the hospital and still there was no word. Training provided a welcome distraction. She enjoyed working with her papa until she was too exhausted to think. At the end of each day she would gratefully drop into her bed to enjoy a dreamless sleep. Still, she felt it tugging at the edge of her mind: <i>Is Mitsuki okay?</i> She shoved the thought aside before it could fully form each time. She took comfort in Boruto's assurance; Mitsuki would be back soon. </p><p>The days stretched into weeks and still, there was no word from the Sound Village. She could no longer completely ignore the haunting question. It had taken to pounding in her head like a second pulse. She trained harder, pushing herself until she dropped but still she could not escape. It didn't matter she told herself. She needed this training anyway, for <i>when</i> Mitsuki came back. </p><p>Spending time with Boruto made it both better and worse. He was forever optimistic, always saying things like "When Mitsuki comes back..." and "Mitsuki will be back soon...". She found his confidence uplifting. However, as time continued to drag on, his smiles started to look strained at the corners of his eyes and mouth and his tone started to sound more manic than optimistic. </p><p>He began to look to her for reassurances too. She did her best to force her smiles and nod in agreement. She knew he was suffering terribly without Mitsuki and the lack of news was getting to him even more than it was to her. She willingly went along with his optimism because she wanted to believe too. It was that hope that was keeping them both going. </p><p>She knew he blamed himself for Mitsuki's condition. He threw himself headfirst into training like she did but it was different for him. It was less distraction and more a constant silent apology to Mitsuki. It was as if he believed that if he became stronger, he would be able to face Mitsuki, <i>when</i> he came back. </p><p>It was out of concern for him that she started to ask about Mitsuki. Every adult she asked had the same answer, </p><p>"Mitsuki will be back soon."</p><p>The repeated answer was almost as enlightening as it was frustrating. Either they didn't want to tell her or they honestly didn't know. The more she received the same canned response, the more she suspected it was at least partially both. She didn't tell Boruto that she had been asking after Mitsuki. Partly because she never got a real answer so there was nothing to report; Partly because from what she could tell, Boruto didn't want to know. </p><p>Time passed on, both quickly and slowly and they remained in limbo. By the third week, Sarada was dreading news as much as she was hoping for it. She and Boruto had nearly died and they were both almost fully recovered. Just how hurt was Mitsuki for there to be no word even after three long weeks? In her darkest hours, she feared the worst.</p><p>She wanted to push the horrible thought away as easily as Boruto seemed to but it didn't work. She couldn't help but fear that they were simply waiting for word of Mitsuki's death. The fear was crushing but it wasn't as devastating as the thought of having to tell Boruto. She had known for months that he was in love with Mitsuki. She had first suspected it long before Mitsuki's flight to the Land of Earth but Boruto's behavior during the incident left no doubt in anyone's mind. </p><p>Boruto needed Mitsuki just as much as the pale boy needed him. They were two peas in a pod; polar opposites and yet so alike at the same time. They completed each other, the sun and the moon, inseparable. How could she tell Boruto that his precious Moon was never coming back?</p><p>She knew that these dark thoughts had entered his mind too but he was actively working to keep them at bay. It didn't matter how much time passed, he remained firm in his belief that Mitsuki would be back soon. Each day, he did something to prepare for Mitsuki's return and it broke her heart to see. His hope was starting to border on denial and watching him go through it made her want to cry. </p><p>She had so many fears and doubt but she could't bring herself to to take his delusions from him. It was all that was keeping him sane. Instead, she forced herself to participate in his hope/denial. She smiled and agreed each time he started talking about Mitsuki but she otherwise remained silent. He spoke of little else anymore. She forced away all her fears and doubts. She had to shelter her brother, allow him to stay safe in his delusions. </p><p>His hope was all he had to keep him going. And in a strange way, it had become all that was keeping her going too.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>